BOYPLAKWATSA : Where oh where will my feet take me to today ?

Subic: Ocean Adventure & Zoobic Safari

I have been to Subic a lot. In one of my trips, with my wife, my daughter and her nanny, plus my driver, I won so much in the casino that the cost of the entire trip was more than paid for. As I checked out, I was given a promo stub to fill up. Apparently, all guests were entitled to a raffle stub with a trip to Malaysia for 2 as grand prize. I won that, too. Tubong lugaw.

Ocean Adventure

This is my daughter’s favorite. Within the park, visitors can watch a seal show, a dolphin show, a whale show, and actually swim with the whales. And ride the whales. The handlers took my daughter from the shore to the raft in what I thought was not possible. The whales were beached on the shore, and my daughter was asked to ride it and hold on to the fins. With a whistle, the whales swam to the raft, bringing my daughter there. At the raft, the handlers taught my daughter to feed the whales, after which she actually rode the whales, sometimes belly up.

from the shore to the raft holding on to the fins

they are given instructions to feed the whale

so the whales will be kind to them when they swim

Entrance fee to the park is P500 per adult, P420 per kid. The Swim Encounter is at P4,200 per person. The Beach Encounter, an encounter with the whale just on the beach, essentially for photo-ops, is P2,800. I wouldn’t recommend the latter.

Ocean Adventure can be bookedthru their Manila office at phone (+632) 2944891.

ZOOBIC SAFARI: Highlight of the Subic visit

Entrance fee to the Zoobic Safari complex is P495. The tour starts with a briefing from one of the many guides.

briefing: don't annoy the animals, please

The girl assigned to us did not seem enthusiastic about the job, and was just going through the motion. As we moved to the zoo with caged animals, she would give some trivia about the animals, almost always ending with the estimated life span of the animals. For instance, tigers can live 15 to 20 years in the wild, but live 5 years longer when in captivity. The fun part in this leg is when kids are allowed to feed the goats from feeding bottles.

I saw a service van with the name Residence Inn at the back. Apparently, without having verified it, the place is run by the same people who run other zoos like the one in Tagaytay, now named Paradizoo.

Going back to the zoo visit. We were then all ushered to the trains that will take us thru the savannah, at P5 per head. Although there is an option to bring your private car and just convoy with the train. I rode .the train.

First stop was the Tiger Safari. We were transferred to a big jeep with sturdy protection. Imagine the school buses with the wire mesh on the windows. Except that there are also grills on top of the wire mesh. We were given suggestions to buy slices of fresh chicken to feed the tigers roaming in the wild. Huh!. Until we were told that professional handlers were joining us in the jeep to feed the tigers.

The gates opened. Actually a series of 2 gates, to make sure the tigers don’t escape. And then we were inside what looked like a somewhat barren wooded area with tigers roaming, just outside of our jeep! The handler took a piece of chicken and moved it to a small opening and, pronto, 2 tigers came to feed. Cameras clicked, only the wire mesh and the grills separated us from the ferocious animals munching on the chicken from the small opening. A little boy cried, so afraid! We were face to face with the tigers, eyeball to eyeball, an inch away! A third tiger joined the contest for food. When 3 pieces of meat have been done by the 3 tigers, we moved on. The handler then put out another piece of meat and a tiger saw it.

huge Bengal tigers come to your jeepney, within breathing distance

face to face, only a sturdy screen between you and the tiger

As the tiger approached the jeep, the handler threw the chicken meat to the roof, and the tiger jumped to the roof. Our roof was made of glass, with grills for protection. So a tiger was above our jeep, munching on the chicken, for a good 5 minutes as we went on. We then made an exit, again through 2 gates. And then we were back on the train.

The train moved to the savannah where ostriches roam. Saw their eggs, each one the equivalent of 2 dozen chicken eggs.

ostriches roam the savannah, don't get close to them - - they bite

And then to the tiger den, an enclosure at the perimeter of the tiger safari. From the tiger den, we moved to an Aeta Village where natives danced and showed agility climbing trees. The tour moves from there to the crocodile section where guests can feed crocs with meat suspended from poles that looked like improvised fishing rods.

I have never experienced anything like it. It was well worth the time and the money. Although I could skip the other parts next time, and just experience the tiger-feeding safari again.

Phone Zoobic Safari at (+6347) 2222272, 2529489 mobile 09285215557

A personal encounter, and didn’t have a cam

The photo below was taken on one of my visits. I regretted leaving the camera in the car, so I had to make do with a photo to be taken by the Zoobic staff as I went inside a cage to pet and bottle-feed a full grown Bengal tiger. This was right inside the orientation area, just after the entrance gates. For P240, they will take a photo of you using their camera, and another using your camera. For this post I had to take a digital file of the hard copy I got for my P240. If you should do this, make sure your camera is with you.

Pet a Bengal tiger, and bottle feed him on a P240 photo op

More Adventures

There is Tree Top Adventure Subic where you can “get high on nature”.Cross suspension bridges, take zip line rides. cable rides, or just trek. Cable ride is P350 per pax, Zip line is P200, Guided trek is P100, and a tree-drop is P150.

Where to Stay My favorite hotel in Subic, inside SBMA, is Segara Villas. Lighthouse comes as a close second choice. On a budget, I once stayed at Pista sa Barrio, a restaurant which recently opened an inn within the same complex.

Segara Villas has only 10 Balinese-inspired villas, with some of them classified as executive accommodations, with the bed on a loft.

photo from brochure that I kept

I stayed at the Negara, a junior suite. Segara is actually a spa, more than a hotel. It sits at the end of the waterfront road, by the pier. An al fresco bar is by the pool. A junior suite, (57 sq.meters, one-level room) costs P7,300++ per day, while an executive suite (70 sq. meters, with loft, and a jetted bathtub) is P10,900++ per day. Rates include breakfast and snacks. Phone (+6347) 2528632, mobile +63921 3308024 website http://www.segaravillassubic.com

Lighthouse is actually listed as one of the Top 10 attractions of Subic, in the SBMA video shown to visitors. Indeed, it is pretty. But the rooms are only for those who are very intimate with each other, as the toilet and bath is separated from the bed only by a smoked glass. The furnishings are A-1, and definitely 5-star. The restaurant downstairs has a full course for breakfast, easily the best breakfast buffet in Subic. A swimming pool is at the back, facing the sea.

Pista sa Barrio Inn is the cheapest of the hotels facing the waterfront, inside SBMA. One may not immediately see it as an inn, because it actually started as a restaurant, and the owner only recently decided to open 12 or so rooms. Nice, clean, and at only P1,500 per day for 2. Has TV with cable, hot & cold shower. 24-hour fastfood service. They have rooms with double beds or twin beds, at the same rate. The only downside is that the pillows are, for me, not comfortable. I brought my own pillows and an extra blanket when I came back. Still worth recommending – – a good value inn. Phone (+6347) 2523055, 252 3187

If you want to play in a casino, you may want to stay at Venezia where PAGCOR operates gaming tables. Off-peak rates start at P1,688++, and a suite goes for only P3,988++. Phone (+6347) 2528399, email customer_service@subicbayveneziahotel.com

Outside of SBMA, the 2 hotels I recommend are White Rock and By the Sea.

White Rock has long been popular.

I like their rooms by the beach. They also operate a pretty good restaurant.Excellent recreational facilities – – Water Park with wave pool and water slides, including a Super Bowl slide, banana boat rides, bowling, jet skiing, kayaking, fitness center, KTV, and basketball courts for kids and adults. Rates start at P6,200 net, with 3-bedroom beach villas going for P14,200. Phone (+6347) 2222378

I went to By the Sea to visit friends who were staying there in the last Ad Congress. I thought the place looked charming, but was told some of the rooms are not well maintained. If you should stay in the hotel, I suggest you first check the room, and check if the airconditioning works. Still, it is a hotel worth considering. I loved my lunch at the open air restaurant near the beach. When I went, they were on a Rainy Day promo, with rooms as cheap as P900. Executive rooms go for P2,500 per day, while a 3-bedroom villa is charged P6.000 per day. The hotel has an infinity pool, and operates a spa within the property. Phone (+6347) 2234346, 2224560, 2222888 website http://www.bythesea.com.ph

hello…i will be going to subic with 3 friends this summer and i came upon your blog while searching for a place to stay at subic…we plan to stay at pista sa barrio (based on your info)…do they have rooms for 4 people?about reservations, how early should we make them?thanks..

Pista sa Barrio is right there on the Baywalk, yung harap na mismo ng dagat, kahilera siya ng ibang mga hotels and restaurants. I am only a blogger and I wrote about the place, among many other things about Subic, to share my experiences and the information I gathered so that I can help others plan their vacations – – I am not connected with the hotel nor with any of the establishments I write about. In fact, I pay for all of my rooms and my food and drinks.

As to staying for two weeks, go ahead and book two weeks. Call Pista sa Barrio and maybe they have discounts for rather long stays. Their room rates only include breakfasts. And yes, they have rooms for two – – either you get two single beds in a room, or one big bed where two people can sleep.

I have always brought a car to Subic and have no experience commuting inside. I don’t think I have seen local transport to Ocean Adventure. Maybe you can contact the inn and ask them if they can arrange.

I just want to ask if there is any taxi stand or any transportation from Ocean Adventure going to Zoobic Safari. We are planning to go Subic tomorrow and we are only coming from Manila via bus.
Your answer will be appreciate & big help for us. Thanks.

On my many trips to both, I have not seen a taxi stand. Although I could have missed it. My gut feel is there is really none. There are taxis in Subic so you may want to arrange to hire one for your trip.

goodpm sir i just wanna ask if ocean adventure is near to zoobic safari. i already have an accomodation for this coming december in one of the hotel in subic freeport and we are planning to visit the ocean adventure and zoobic safari in 1 day, is it possible?

Hello! In a month or probably around in March, I will already be a Junior High School graduate and well, I am planning to take a summer job but I don’t know if you’re accepting students for one? Thank you! 🙂

Yes you can on either. But unlikely to still go to both as you will be pressed for time and not enjoy the visit. Best to do the safari, and then Ocen Adventure next day. You need more time for Ocean Adventure as the shows are timed.

I would still recommend staying at the cluster of hotels within the SBMA center, at Bayfront. There are hotels of different classes and price levels. And then make arrangements to go to Zoobic Safari. There is actually a beach hotel just outside of Ocean Adventure but the name escapes me at the moment.

I want to try this. However this is my first trip with my special friend. Hope you don’t mind me asking sir, how much it will be for us to enjoy the zoobic as well as the ocean adventure without the encounter ’cause I found it too expensive tho. Thank you so much for this blog!

Zoobic Safari is P495 per person on weekdays, and more expensive (P545) on weekends. Ocean Adventure charges an entrance fee and special costs for encounters. Otherwise, just watching the shows is already part of the admission. Please inquire at

Open every day even on Holidays and Holy week, 9am to 6pm.
Tickets are available on-site. Walk-in guests are always welcome.
Park Admission Ticket Rates:
Adults: 788per head (13 years old and above)
Child/SC: 628per head (12 years old and below)
Free -of-charge: 30 inches and below (base on height)

Our show schedule varies on a daily basis.
We have 2 park cycle, (1) 9am – 2pm and (2) 1pm – 6pm.
During the said park cycle, you’ll be able to watch all the shows.

SPECIAL INTERACTIVE PROGRAMS:

PROGRAM RATE
A. Dolphin Swim Encounter Php3,700 per pax
Close interaction with Dolphin from shallow to deep water for about 20-25minutes
Bring your own towels and soap. Swimwear should be without zipper and buttons. For 8y/o and above only
B. Dolphin Beach Encounter Php2,400 per pax
Close interaction with Dolphin in shallow part of the water for about 20-25minutes
Bring your own towels and soap. Swimwear should be without zipper and buttons. For 8y/o and above only
C. Family Dolphin Experience Php10,000 good for 4pax
Php2,500 – additional pax
Close interaction with Dolphin in shallow part of the water with your love ones for about 20-25minutes
Max of 6pax per schedule. Bring your own towels and soap. Swimwear should be without zipper and buttons. For 8y/o and above only
D. Shark and Turtle Adventure Php500 per pax
Feeding of Blacktip shark in station 1, Meet our jackfish or giant trevallies and a colorful array of tropical fish in station 2 and meet our rescued sea turtles, feed them a fish and even get to touch their shell in station 3.
Maximum of 12 pax per schedule

*All programs are available on a limited slot per day. Prior booking is required.

thank you! very informative. may i ask if i’ll get the pista sa barrio hotel, what will be the mode of transportation going to zoobic & ocean adventure, any idea how much, since ill be twice to enjoy the place. thank you so much